Accident Bellanca 17-30 Viking 300 C-GLJM, Wednesday 7 June 1989

You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:	Wednesday 7 June 1989
Time:	21:00 LT
Type:	Bellanca 17-30 Viking 300
Owner/operator:	private
Registration:	C-GLJM
MSN:	30023
Total airframe hrs:	2131 hours
Engine model:	Continental IO-520-D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Near Fairbanks, AK - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Fairbanks, AK (FAI)
Destination airport:	Valdez, AK (VDZ)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
THE PLT RCVD A WX BRIEFING EARLIER IN THE DAY. DURING A DEPARTURE FROM FAIRBANKS, AK, HE REQUESTED STAGE II RADAR SERVICE TO THE SOUTH, EN ROUTE TO VALDEZ, AK. THE ACFT NEVER ARRIVED AT VALDEZ. ON 7/12/89, IT WAS LOCATED WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 7000 FT, NEAR THE TOP OF A MTN RIDGE. IMPACT OCCURRED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MTN ON STEEP SNOW COVERED TERRAIN IN A BOX CANYON AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE INDCD THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED DURING IMPACT. THE PROP WAS NOT FOUND, BUT 4 PROP ATTACH BOLTS WERE FOUND THAT HAD BEEN SHEARED. APRX 37 MI WEST AT HEALY RIVER (ELEVATION 1294 FT), THE 1945 ADT WX WAS IN PART: 5000 FT SCATTERED, 12,000 FT SCATTERED, 18,000 FT THIN BROKEN, VISIBITY 35 MI. ABOUT 115 MI SOUTHEAST AT GULKANA (ELEVATION 1578) THE 1952 ADT SKY CONDITION WAS: 5000 FT SCATTERED, 8000 FT BROKEN.

Probable Cause: IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE WHILE ENTERING A BOX CANYON AND/OR CROSSING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN RESTRICTED WEATHER CONDITION. THE TERRAIN AND WEATHER WERE RELATED FACTORS.

Accident investigation: